Falana Reveals How Yar’Adua’s Govt Frustrated Ibori’s Trial In UK

Femi Falana (SAN)

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a renowned Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana, has said that the late ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration frustrated the trial of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, in the United Kingdom.
Falani who stated this on Sunday, narrated that Ibori was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates on May 13, 2010, under Interpol arrest warrants, issued from United Kingdom courts and enacted by the Metropolitan Police and was later granted bail pending an extradition hearing.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a renowned Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana, has said that the late ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration frustrated the trial of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, in the United Kingdom.

Falani who stated this on Sunday, narrated that Ibori was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates on May 13, 2010, under Interpol arrest warrants, issued from United Kingdom courts and enacted by the Metropolitan Police and was later granted bail pending an extradition hearing.

Mr. Femi Falana (SAN)

According to him: “The federal government and its UK counterpart then agreed to work together on the former governor’s extradition to Britain even as his movement became restricted by the Dubai authority.”

Ibori’s case and extradition became one of the longest, most complex, and expensive operations mounted by Scotland Yard in recent years.

He was convicted for money laundering and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment in 2012.

Falana in a statement titled: “How FG Frustrated Ibori’s Trial in the UK,” further revealed how the government through the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, challenged the investigation of Ibori in the UK in 2009.

According to the human rights activist, Aondoakaa, who was the AGF under Yar’Adua’s administration, had said at the time that UK’s decision to probe Ibori was an insult to Nigeria’s sovereignty.

However, the AGF was removed in 2010 by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan after he was installed as Acting President due to the incapacitation of late Yar’Adua who was receiving treatment at a Saudi Arabia hospital at the time.

In the statement, Falana expressed disappointment that the same government which frustrated the ex-governor’s trial could claim ownership of the £4.2m (N2.2bn) being repatriated by the British government.

He said: “It is on record that the Federal Government openly opposed the trial of Chief Ibori in the United Kingdom. In fact, in utter breach of the provisions of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between Nigeria and the United Kingdom the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) rejected the request to make relevant documents available for the trial in the UK on the ground of sovereignty.

“In particular, Chief Aondoakaa refused to entertain the request of the UK Metropolitan Police and made under bilateral mutual assistance to Nigeria on the grounds that the request was not made by the Home Office.” Falana stated.